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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990 film)

1990 American live-action film adaptation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise directed by Steve Barron

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a 1990 film about a quartet of humanoid turtles trained by their mentor in ninjitsu who must learn to pull together in order to face the menace of Shredder and the Foot Clan.

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[as he is watching "The Tortoise & The Hare" with Donatello] Go! Move it, will ya? Aw, you're letting him blow right by ya! Can you believe this guy? Come on! Don't just...! Ninja-kick the damn rabbit! Do something!

[He avoids an attack by retracting his head inside his shell. He then pops his head out again and punches the ninja.] God, I LOVE BEING A TURTLE!!!!

Wise men say, 'forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza'!

Oh, but no anchovies. And I mean, no anchovies. You put anchovies on this thing and you're in big trouble, okay?!

[Casey Jones and the Turtles are inside April's apartment fighting the Foot, who's numbers are continuing to increase.] Hey guys? I'm not so sure this is uh, structurally speaking, such a good time for your ah, buddies to drop in...

[April and Casey fight then go into different rooms, slamming the doors after them] Gosh, it's kind of like Moonlighting, isn't it?

[Opening Lines] Much more than just a series of small, isolated incidents, it's now apparent that an organized criminal element is at work and at the moment, business is good. So good in fact that there appear to be no eyewitnesses to any of these crimes. With complaints ranging from purse snatching to breaking and entering, police switchboards have been swamped with the angry voices of more and more citizens who have fallen prey to the recent surge of crime that continues to plague the city. Instead of getting better, things are actually getting worse. Even more alarming is the baffling and often bizarre nature of these crimes. Merchandise of every size and description from skateboards to stereo systems has been disappearing from store shelves and storage areas at an alarming rate. Even the victims themselves rarely catch a glimpse of the thieves. Many don't even know they've been victimized until it's too late. In fact, police have yet to come up a single eyewitness. Only a few vague reports of young boys or teenagers at the scenes have been filed, but whoever is behind these crimes, one thing is certain, these are much than just a series of random isolated incidents. Crimes without criminals? An invisible gang at work? Who are we gonna call? Unfortunatly the police are the only ones to combat what some are already dubbing the silent crime wave. But perhaps the most disturbing silence is that coming from city hall. April O'Neill, Channel 3 Eyewitness News.

And then there's Casey Jones, a 9-year-old trapped in a man's body. He might almost be cute if it wasn't for that pigheadedness.

[to Chief Sterns] Would you mind repeating that again... in English perhaps?

My Master Yoshi's first rule was: Possess the right thinking. Only then can one receive the gifts of strength, knowledge, and peace.

Some say that the path from inner turmoil begins with a friendly ear. My ear is open if you care to use it.

Anger clouds the mind. Turned inward, it is an unconquerable enemy.

All fathers care for their sons.

I too once had a family, Danny. Many years ago I lived in Japan: a pet of my master Yoshi, mimicking his movements from my cage and learning the mysterious art of Ninjitsu, for Yoshi was one of Japan's finest shadow warriors. His only rival was a man named Oroko Saki, and they competed in all things, but in nothing more fiercely than for the love of a woman, Tang Shen. Shen's love was only for my master and rather than see him fight Saki for her hand, she persuaded Yoshi to flee with me to America. But Saki vowed vengeance. I remember it well, as my master returned home to find his beloved Shen lying on the floor, and then he saw her killer. Saki wasted no words, and during the struggle, my cage was broken. I leapt to Saki's face, biting and clawing, but he threw me to the floor and took one swipe with his Katana, slicing my ear. Then he was gone, and I was alone.

I am proud of you, my sons. Tonight you have learned the final and greatest truth of the Ninja: that ultimate mastering comes not from the body, but from the mind. Together, there is nothing your four minds cannot accomplish. Help each other, draw upon one another, and always remember the power that binds you. The same is what brought me here tonight, that which I gladly return with my final words: I love you all, my sons.

[Confronting Shredder] Yes, Oroku Saki, I know who you are. We met many years ago, in the home of my master... [snarls] HAMATO YOSHI!!!

Death comes for us all, Oruku Saki, but something much worse comes for you, for when you die, it will be [Shredder reaches for the back of his belt, takes out a knife and throws it at Splinter, who dodges it and releases Shredder, who falls, screaming, into the dustcart] without honor.

[To newly made Foot Ninja] Money cannot buy the honor, which you have earned tonight. You make us all proud. [To street gang] Only effort, discipline, loyalty, earn the right to wear the dragon dochi. You are here because the outside world rejects you. This is your family. I am your father. I want you all to become full members of the Foot. There is a new enemy: freaks of nature who interfere with our business. You are my eyes and ears; FIND THEM! Together we will punish these creatures. These... TURTLES!!

There will be no mistake this time. I go myself.

[To the Turtles] You fight well, in the old style. But you've caused me enough pain. Now you face...the Shredder.

[To Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo] He [Leonardo] dies. Weapons! [Gestures with his head]NOW!![Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo discard their weapons to save Leonardo.] Fools! The three of you may have overpowered me with the loss of but one! Now your fate... WILL BE HIS!! [Brings back his yari and prepares to stab Leonardo.]

[Removes his mask to face Splinter, revealing the scars underneath from their last encounter.]You. Now I will finish what I began with YOUR EAR! [Attempts to joust Splinter, but his yari is caught in a nunchaku chain and he is hanging over the edge of a building]

[Raphael: Where's Splinter?] Ah, the rat. So it has a name. It HAD a name. [Leonardo:YOU LIE!][Smirks] Do I?

Donatello:[Skateboards in the sewers, and then stops to sit down next to Michelangelo] How are you doing?

Michelangelo: Fine.

Donnie: Nice night.

Mikey: Pizza dude's got 30 seconds.

Donnie: Hey, Mikey. Do you ever think about what Splinter said about us, you know, not having him?

Mikey: Hmm. Time's up. $3 off.

Mikey: [while Leonardo slices the pizza] Yes, friends, the new turbo ginsu. Wa-hoo! It dices, it slices, and it makes French fries and 3 different... [a pizza slice lands on Splinter's head] WHOOPS.

Splinter: Mmm, kids.

Splinter: For 15 years now, we have lived here. Before that time, I was a pet of my Master Yoshi, mimicking his movements from my cage and learning the secret art of Ninja. When we were forced to come to New York, I found myself, for the first time, without a home, wandering the sewers, scavenging for whatever I could find. And then, one day, I came upon a shattered glass jar and 4 baby turtles.

Mikey: That was us.

Raph: Shut up.

Donnie: Oh, no.

Splinter: The little ones were crawling into a strange, glowing ooze from a broken canaster nearby. I gathered them up in an old coffee can, and when I awoke the next morning, I received a shock, for they had doubled in size. I, too, was growing, particularly in intellect, and I was amazed at how intelligent they seemed, but nothing could have prepared me for what happened next - 1 of them spoke.

Baby turtle in flashback: Pizza. Pizza!

Splinter: More words followed, and I began their training, teaching them all that I had learned from my master.

Baby turtle in flashback: Radical, radical, radical, radical…

Splinter: And soon, I gave them all names - Leonardo, Michelangelo...

Mikey: That’s me.

Splinter: ...Donatello and Raphael.

April: You guys eat pizza?

Mikey and Donnie:[simultaneously] Doesn't everybody?

April: Will I ever see you guys again?

Mikey: Indubitably!

Leonardo: Well, that depends on how fast you stock your pizza.

Chief Sterns: We are presently executing a plan of redeployment that will minimize response time while maximizing coordination between patrol units in a decentralized networking scheme.

April: Hmm, I'm not sure I understood all of that, Chief Sterns. Would you mind repeating it, in English perhaps?

[Watching an argument starting between Leonardo and Raphael]

Mikey: Fight?

Donnie: Fight.

Mikey: Kitchen?

Donnie: Kitchen.

Mikey: Yeah.

[Later, while eating pork rinds]

Mikey:[hands him a pork rind] Pork Rind?

Donnie:[takes the pork rind] Pork Rind.

Leo:[Shredder shows up] Does anybody have any idea about who or what this is?

Mikey: I don't know. But I'll bet it never has to look for a can opener.

The Shredder: You fight well in the old style, but you've caused me enough trouble. Now you face... The Shredder.

Donnie: The Shredder?

Mikey: Uhh... maybe all that hardware's for making coleslaw.

Raph: Where's Splinter?

Shredder: Ah, the rat. So it has a name. It HAD a name.

Leo:[angrily]YOU LIE!

Shredder:[evilly smiles] Do I?

April: What did you do, did you take classes in insensitivity?

Casey: Hey, I was just trying to break it to you easy.

April: Oh, well, you failed miserably!

Casey: Hey, Broadzilla, you wouldn't even be standing here if it weren't for me, okay?

There’s no greater feeling than walking onto the set and seeing the costumes in full motion, being worn by an actor. These things weighed 80 pounds, and the way they brought them to life with the technology that Jim Henson created to make them work and be believable…

The animatronic Turtle suits created by Jim Henson's crew for the first TMNT movie were, quite simply, wonderful. I remember being blown away by how beautiful they were and how much the performers and puppeteers were able to get out of these clever and carefully-crafted agglomerations of latex, paint, leather and various fabrics.